Air-ship.



PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

A. S. FADDA & J. DI LORENZO.

AIR SHIP. APPLIOATIOH rum) D110.1l,19 08..

3BHEET8-SKEHT 1.

INVENTORS. 50.6; 99

x ya $111 PATENTED DEC. 3, 1907.

A. s. FADDA & J. DI LORENZO. AIR SHIP.

APPLICATION FILED DEO.17,1906.

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. and useful UNITED} 'sTAT s PATENT OFFICE.

' AURELIO SABIN FAISDA D JOHN DI LORENZO, OF PITTSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 3, 1907.

Application filed December 17. 1906. Serial No. 348.860.

To all whom it may concern: .7.

Be it known that we, AURELIO SABIN FADDA and JOHN DI LORENZO, residents of Pittsburg, inthe county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new Improvement in Air-Ships; and We do her by declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description thereof.

This invention relates to air shipsand more especially those operating on the principle of an aeroplane.

The invention consists in combination and improvements hereinafter described and clannedl' In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side view of our improved air ship; Fig. '2 is a plan view of the same; Fig. 3 1s a cross section on the line 33 Fig. 1; Fig. 4 is a longitudinal section throughthe rudder; Fig.

5 is avertical section through one of the air boxes; Fig. 6 is a similar section through one I of the cushioningv devices; and Fig. 7 is a cross section through one of the Wings. 7

The body of the device is constructed as a skeleton frame having a front vertical piece 1, a corresponding rear vertical piece 2, a pair of bottom pieces 3, a top connecting member :4, and suitable braclng and machinery supporting members.

On thebottom members 3 of the skeleton frame I provide a suitable platform 5 which supports a 'motor 6 of suita I ing maximum horse 1e type, preferably one havower per weight, such as of the Antoinettehol motor. The main shaft of t motor has connected thereto cranks 7 to,wh1ch are attached connecting rods 8 attached to a cross head or rod 9 which is connected to the ends' of the piston rods 10 of the air compressors 1 1. A pair of such compressors are used, one

on each side. Th double, that is, thereof. l

12 represents a air of hollow buoyant made of any suitable size necessary to lift the air ship in conjunction with the other mechanism hereinafter described for that u ose. These buoyant bodies are preferab y 0 pear shape, as shown in Fig.4, with the" small ends projecting downwardly and having projecting into their lower ends. ipes- 13 comin from the compressors hese buoyant bodies are conese 8.11 compressors are a piston works into both ends these bodies at their tops is a plate designed to have the I avesseur type of alcotion from th nected by transverse members 14 and are se cured to the skeleton frame in any suitable manner as by means of the lashings 15. In

1 7 whi ch is yieldingly supported by means of springs 18. This plate acts as a cushioning means to receive the impact of the air coming from the compressors so as to prevent injury to the top of the thin shell of which these bodies are necessarily constructed; The compressors are to be run at a very high speed, and the highlycompressed air is forced into the hollow bodies 12 and assists in lifting the device.

At the forward end of the air shi I proffect a bow for the ship. lhis hollow front ered with air tight Icons, and which surface by strips light material. This hollow body is designed to be buoyant 'so as to assist in lifting the air ship, this buoyancy being accomplished by silk, such as used for balis protected on its outer exhaustingthe fair therefrom in order to create a partial vacuum. To prevent the body from colla sing when exhausted, it is braced inteiiorly y means of cross bars 23 of bamboo, or other light and strong material.

At the stern of the ship we provide a rudder 25 which is a hollow body constructed similarly to the anterior portion 20 and is also from. This rudderis hinged on vertical pivots 26 and steering gear 27 of any suitable construction'g-wi-ll be used. The air may be exhausted from the hollow rudder 25 and hollow bow piece 20 by any suitable means, such "as air "umps 28 driven in-an suitable way from-t e motor 5. If desire we may use injectors located in tubes connected to the hollow bodies and havin an air connecacting in the usual way to extract the air from the hollow bodies.

The ship is propelled bymeans' of a propeller 34 at the forward end ..and a similar rope ll'er 35 at the rear; end. These pro el- 1 ers are secured to a shaft 36 extending ongitudinally of the ship and mounted in sui able bearings formed in 37 secured to the skeleton ame. This shaft will be connected to-the motor by any suit portion isconstructed of a light frame work 21 of wire mesh, say 5-inch mesh, cov- 0 com ressors these in'ectorsv sn porting members videa pointed hollow body 20 whic forms -m e 22of aluminium or other air exhausted thererequired.

able transmittin gear or mechanism, such as the sprocket c ain gearing 38.

The ship is intended to be lifted primarily by the buoyancy of the bodies 12, how portion 20 and rudder 25. To further ass st in lifting the same we provide a pair of lifting propellers in the form of spiral bladed fans, or the like, and 41. These are secured respectively on the shafts 42 and 43 which are journaled in suitablebearings inthe skeleton frame and are driven from the shaft 36 by means of suitable connecting gear, such as the bevel gears 44 shown. The shaft 42 is vertical while the shaft 43 is somewhat inclined as shown. We also provide mechanically driven wings to assist inlifting the ship. Two pairs of such Wings 45 are shown. These wings are concave and are formed in sections hinged along thecentral line 46 of said wings so that while being elevated the wings will collapse, but when being lowered they will open up and catch the air as will be readily understood. The Wings are pivoted to suitable brackets or supports 47 and have arms 48 projecting inwardly beyond said pivot points, to which arms are attached connecting rods 49 leading to cranks 50 on counter-shafts 51 driven from the motor 5 or from the shaft 36. The rotation of these cranks will cause the wings to be oscillated on their ivots and as each wing is made up of hinge sections, it will collapse in its upward movement thus ofiering little resistance-to the air, but on its downward move-' ment, will expand and catch the air and assist in lifting the ship.

To the bottom of -the skeleton frame is at-' tached a rectangular frame 54 to which are journaled four wheels 55 for supporting the ship on the ground.' The rectangular frame 54 has a yielding or cushioning. connection with" the skeleton frame of the air ship, such as connecting to the corners thereof rods 56 which extend up through openings in the skeleton frame. The cushioning effect is secured by means of hollow elastic bodies 57 interposed between the skeleton frame and the rectangular bottom frame, and being reinforced by the spiral springs 57 surrounding the rods 56 and located inside of these hollow elastic Ibodies. These cushioning devices prevent shock in ali hting.

, The operation of t e air ship will be readily understood. All parts of the construction are made with minimum weight for strength The motor will be a very powe motor and of light weight so as to provide ample power for the propellers, lifting fans ample air pressure for the buoyant bodies 12 and also power to exhaust the bow piece 20 and hollow rudder 25. The ship islifted by the combined effect'of the buoyancy of the hollow bow, or

anterior piece 20, rudder 25 and buoyant bodies 12, and the lifting effect secured by the rotation of the lifting fans 40 and 41; and of the Wings 45. The ship is controlled and steered by means of the rudder and can be made to rise and fall as desired by simply speeding up or slowing down the motor.

What we claim is:

1. In an air ship, the combination with the body, of lifting and propelling means therefor, a hollow rudder hinged to said body, means for operating said rudder, and means carried by the body and arranged to exhaust the air from said hollow rudder.

2. In an air ship, the combination'of a skeleton body, and lifting and propelling means therefor, including a buoyant anterior orbow portion immovably secured to the forward end. of the body, a buoyant rudder or rear portion hinged to the rear end of the body, a motor on the body, and propellers driven from the motor and located respectively between the body and anterior portion and between the body and rudder.

3. In an air ship, the combination of a skeleton body, and lifting and propelling means therefor including a hollow buoyantanterior or bow portion, and a hollow buoyant' rudder or rear portion, said bow portion and'rudder being of substantially the widthand height of the body and containing the latter betweenthem.

4. In an air ship, the combination with the body, of lifting and propelling means therefor, a hollow anterior portion immovably secured to the body, a hollow rudder hlnged to the body, and means for exhausting the air from said hollow anterior portion and rudder.

5 In an air ship, the combination of a skeleton body, lifting and propelling means therefor, alar e hollow anterior or bow portion immovab y secured to the forward end of the body, a hollow rudder hinged to the rear end of the.body, said hollow anterior portion and rudder being of substantially the same height as the body, and means for rendering said hollow bodies buoyant.

'6. In an air ship, the combination of a frame, buoyant bodies connected thereto, a

motor mounted on the frame, vertical proelling fans and a pair of horizontal lifting ans operated from the motor, said lifting fans being one on a vertical axis and the other onan inclined axis, expansible wings also operated from the motor. 7. In an air ship, the combination with a body, of carrying and propelling means therefor, a wheeled frame belowthe body,

and collapsible and and cushioning means between the same and I the body, said cushioning means comprising hollow closed elastic bodies.

8. In an air ship, the combination with the body, of carryin% and propelling means therefor, a wheeled rame below the body, spiral; sprin s between the same and the 5 body,-and c osed hollow yielding or elastic bodies inclosing said springs.

;In testimony whereof, we the said AURE- LIO SABIN FADDA and JOHN DI LORENZO have hereunto set our hands.

AURELIO SABIN FADDA. JOHN DI LORENZO.

Witnesses:

- F. W. WINTER,

ROBERT C. TOITEN. 

